1 year Anniversary!

 HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONNOR!!!!

Connor and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary June 26, 2011.  I can't believe it's already been a year! It FLEW by!  Before I got married I had always heard people say the first year is the hardest year of marriage.  I wondered what it was that was going to make the first year the hardest.  Was it the silly things that your spouse did that maybe you didn't know about? Or was it deciding who was going to cook everday and who was going to work on the car or pay the bills?  Maybe its a collection of all those things.   But goodness gracious! I couldn't have had a more fun year in my entire life!! My family has asked me if there were any surprises that Connor does.  I tell them that there hasn't been any thing surprising, just that he really is THAT patient ALL the time! He's more wonderful every day.  When they ask Connor if there was any surprises he smirks and says, "well I knew Janiece was dramatic, but I didn't know she could carry it on ALL THE TIME!"  Ha ha ha! Alright I AM dramatic! I get very enthusistic about things that I love!  But he'll tell ya that he loves it. :)) He really is the best. 

Connor and I were talking about some of our favorite memories of the year and we were just laughing and laughing.  We've had so many good times and most of our favorite times were when we were just at home being silly together.  

I am so lucky and blessed to have Connor in my life.  He is my very BEST friend and I couldn't ask for anyone better.  Everyday he is sweeter and sweeter.  Not to mention he gets cuter and cuter :) I am the luckiest girl in the world!!

I love you Connor! Happy Anniversary!   

A couple days before our anniversary I had gone home to spend some time with Jenica before she went to Alaska for the summer. And while I was there, there was a lot of sewing going on.  Tyleen sewed a quilt, my mom made Tyleen a dress.  So, I wanted to join the fun and I needed something to give to Connor for our anniversary coming up.  So, I decided to make us cool pillow cases!!! My mom makes these for us for Christmas and I LOVE them!!! I love the idea of having different, bright, fun pillow cases that are completely your own.

I gave Connor the pillow cases and even though they're pretty girly looking he did a good job at acting as excited as I was about them.  I had gotten back from Idaho Friday night and I couldn't wait until Sunday to give them to him so I gave them to him that night!   Connor was better than me and waited to surprise me with a gift on Sunday!! He had folded up a little piece of paper that said "couple massage".  When I first read it I was thinking that we were going to give them to eachother that night or something. But then he quickly informed me that it was for a REAL couples massage!!!!! When I came to that realization I almost started crying!  If anyone has talked to me within the last couple months they would know how badly I wanted to go and get a professional massage!!! The appointment was for a couple days later, and the night before we went I could hardly sleep, I was so excited! :)  And it felt more amazing than I thought it was going to!  I got that picture off of their website.  It had two beds in that same room where Connor and I got them done together. Best hour of my life!   It felt so amazing!! Thank you Connor for being so sweet and giving me such a special present!

PASCO WASHINGTON

 We moved again.  We're getting pretty good at packing up our stuff and moving.  Since I've gotten engaged I've lived in Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and now Washington.  Last summer Connor did Summer Sales in Denver Colorado selling insulation.  He did pretty well last summer with the rebates programs from the power companies. So, through a lot of prayer and thought we decided to do it again!  This summer, instead of Denver, we came to Pasco Washington.  We got here a few days after our race and have been enjoying it pretty well ever since. 

When we got here they weren't sure if we were going to be relocated or if we would spend all summer here.  So, I hadn't started the job hunt until I had heard.  Buuuuut Connor started doing so well, and I started enjoying our glorious apartment pool that the job hunt didn't ever really begin.  People will ask me what I do all day and if I ever get bored.  To be honest, sometimes I do.  But overall, not...at...all!!! I love reading a book by the pool, working out at the gym, watching movies, cooking food, visiting friends, working on projects and leaving to visit my family! (only 4.5 hours away!)   It has been such a fun and relaxing break! I feel like I'm on a three month vacation!

This is our cute little apartment.  And when I say cute, the floor plan is about as cute as it gets. Connor's company has been so nice and has paid to rent furniture.   It does sound SUPER nice, and it is! buuuuut if you saw the couches I had to sit on and look at everyday, you'd maybe wonder if something from DI would have been better. 

I will have to get a picture because describing them won't do them justice.  But just for a little idea.  The material is puke goldish yellow and has no cushions for the back rest.  The first day I wasn't sure if that's how they really are or not.  But the more I sit on them, the more I'm certain they didn't come with any.  Many of you know, that I am a tall girl! and when I sit on a couch I never EVER have a problem putting my feet on the ground.  right? I mean most people don't. These couches though, if i sit all the way back, the bottom cushion ends after the bend of my knee! yeah......it needs back cushions for sure.

Overall, this summer has been so fun so far! Connor and I get to spend all morning together until about 1:00pm.  Then he goes to his meeting, comes back for about 5 minutes to say goodbye and then they're off to their area for the day.  Right now they're selling about an hour away so by the time they stop and get everyone together again, he gets back home at about 10pm.  It's a long day for me to be alone.  Especially since I'm one that LOVES to talk.  It's pretty funny.  Connor will come home ready to NOT talk anymore (because thats all he does all day long) and I am ready to go! A few times I would be so excited to tell him stories from my day or anything to hear my voice again I wouldn't realize that my volume is quite loud.   Connor will stop me and say, "Janiece! Why are you YELLING?!"  I guess when I go alllll day without talking my speaking volume gets off.  Then the rest of the night is filled with either board games with the rest of the guys or Connor and me just spending some time together alone.

So far, Connor is doing well again, and I am enjoying myself completely. Hopefully every summer can be this nice!! :)

I ran FAR!!!!!

The time had come! I had trained my hardest and the time had arrived!  My whole family participated in the Famous Idaho Potato Races.  My dad, Trent and Karissa all ran the 10k.  Devin, Tyleen, Me, Kendra and Connor ran the HALF MARATHON! and Jenica beat us all and ran the Full Marathon.  Now, if any of you don't know, the half marathon is 13.1 miles long! and the full is 26.2 miles long.  It took lots of time, energy, sweat, and for some, even tears! buuuuuut we all were ready!

  

So the night before we gathered up all the things we needed and lined them up on the counter.

 The half and full marathoners started at the same place.  We all got there with plenty of time to go to the bathroom a million times, get super nervous, take a few pictures and freeze our little hineys off.  Jenica started a half an hour before us, and I am so glad that we all got to be there to cheer her off!  Then by the time all the half marathoners had to line up the sun started to poke out from behind the cloud and the wind decided to slow down and by the start of our race, the weather couldn't have been more perfect. 

I started training in January and just a couple of weeks before the race Connor decides that maybe he wanted to join in on the fun.  He ran a total of three times and called the training complete.   One of those times he ran a 9 mile run with me and Tyleen.  And instead of just running one or two miles with me then taking off (like the other times he ran), he decided to do it all with us at OUR pace.  Before this, he said he'd just run the half with me, thinking that it'd be fun to just do it together.  AFTER the run, he then decided that he's not going to be able to go as slow as me and he probably wont run with me.  I knew that would happen even when he said he was going to run with me.  Anyway, we're all huddled together and as soon as that gun went off to begin the race, Connor was OUT OF THERE! He immediately started weaving through everybody to get to the front. He didn't want to get stuck on the trail we'd soon be getting on behind a bunch of slow pokes. sooooo off he went! And what do ya know?! The kid that ran three times for his training ran the half in about 1:35 and got 3rd in his division and 49th overall. This kid is a freak of nature and it makes me sick! :) but because he ran so fast they gave him a ribbon and a little stuffed potato as a prize!

Kendra was another one of those freaks of nature that only ran a few times before the race and still was able to rock it.  I am so glad she was there.  She ran with me for the first 9 miles.  While we were running we'd sing the songs on our ipods to each other or tell stories to the point we were laughing WHILE running! You're probably thinking, well that doesn't sound like you were trying very hard.  But we were! We'd keep checking our time and we were still a little ahead of our normal and were still going strong so we kept it up. This picture was at about mile 6 I think when we spotted Cortney at the park! Boy were we happy to see her! The picture is blurry probably because we were running so fast! :)  At about mile nine though, kendra decided if she was going to beat 2 hours she had better pick up the pace and leave me behind.  I was still on track for my goal of 10 minute miles so I just stayed at my pace and watched her go.  

But for all of those that are trying to decide if they should do a race. Let me just tell you one thing, DOOOOOOOO IT!!!!! I knew it'd be so fulfilling, but it was SO fun!  

 We did it!!!!!!! The Full and Half Marathoners got medals as soon as they crossed the finish line.  I was the last half marathoner from my family to cross the line, so I had a good size cheering squad as I came into the end.  And let me tell ya what, it was AWESOME!   The whole race I was rockin it, but by mile 11 I was feeling pretty tired.  I had made it that far without walking so I knew I'd be mad at myself if I did when I only had a little ways to go.  So, I just told my legs to just keep running!  And by the end to have my family screaming and cheering for me, some how I was able to finish the last bit strong! Nothing felt better than crossing that finish line! All that hard work and time, had paid off!! 

 We had to take a picture of how we REALLY felt after the race.  EXHAUSTED!  But seriously, how awesome to be part of a family that is all healthy and active enough to participate in such a cool thing!  Even my mom was running around all day trying to catch us along the trails to cheer us on!  I am so glad that Devin convinced all of us to participate in this! I don't think we could have asked for a better route, better weather, or better people to do it with! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention how well I did!!! My finishing time was 2:10 (exactly 10 minute miles), I got 597th out of 1046 (doesn't sound very impressive i know), and 29th in my division! I know it sounds crappy compared to Connor's stats. But it was my goal to finish with 10 minute mile pace so I am happy!!!!!